Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":
Chapter 23: More Historical Papers
Borst Valley
-As transcribed from pages 901 - 905
This valley comprises parts of
three towns. Its two westernmost branches head in Dover, Buffalo
County; the main east branch rises near the center of Chimney Rock; the
lower half of the valley lies in Burnside, where its general slope is
to the southeast. In greatest length the valley extends about
eight miles. Its waters find outlet into Elk Creek near the east
line of section 11, Burnside.
The valley never bore the name of its first settler, whose family and
others called it Little Elk. Afterward by many it was known as
Warring Valley. Later it sometimes was designated as Borst
Valley. Fifteen years after the coming of the first settler
another name was added - Markham Valley, for a man who arrived in
1875. All these names were current at the same time. There
never was concerted action on the part of the inhabitants to decide
upon a single designation, nor rivalry as to choice. The valley's
present name appears to have been generally adopted about 1892.
William S. Cramer, a native of Connecticut, was the first
settler. His wife, Deborah Ann, nee Smith, was a native of
Ohio. They emigrated from Ohio to Marquette County, Wis., in
1851. A few years later they went to Green Lake County, and in
1861 moved to Butler County, Iowa. In October, 1863, they reached
Borst Valley. All these migrations were made by ox team, for the
Cramers were typical pioneers. They had five boys - George F.,
Elmer, Theodore, Charles and Willie. Mr. Cramer squatted on the
northwest quarter of section 11, town 22, range 9, a half mile above
the valley's mouth, and began gathering logs to build a cabin. A
few of these were cut on his claim, the rest being taken wherever a
suitable tree was found. The red oak bolts from which he split
shakes for the roof Mr. Cramer secured in the head of a coolie above
George Hale's location in Pleasant Valley, about five miles
distant. In November the family occupied the cabin, moving in
before the door was hung or the window fitted.
After finishing the cabin Mr. Cramer went to La Crosse to make
homestead filing and learned the land had been withdrawn from entry
pending determination of definite limits of a land grant to a railway
that afterward became the Omaha line. He returned home, built a
shed for the oxen, gathered firewood sufficient for a year or more and
laid in a stock of family supplies. Then on Jan. 13, 1864, he
enlisted at La Crosse and became a soldier of the Civil War. His
son George says Mr. Cramer's enlistment was credited to the town of
Gale, that he received $450 bounty, was assigned to Company G,
Thirty-second Wisconsin Infantry and sent to Tennessee. Mr.
Cramer died of dysentery in the military hospital at Nashville, Sept.
3, 1864, aged about 43.
Mrs. Cramer continued to occupy the claim, making only such
improvements as would supply the family with corn and the necessary
vegetables, until the land was restored to entry in 1866, when she sent
her son George, then about 18 years old, to La Crosse to make homestead
entry, instructing him to file in her name. Finding this not
permissible, George made entry for himself as head of the family.
In 1869 they sold relinquishment of the homestead to Henry B. Fay.
Wanderlust had a firm hold on Mrs. Cramer, an impulse acquired in early
life. On leaving Borst Valley she went to Bear Creek, between
Mondovi and Durand, where he married Peter Vroman, who died six months
later. Notwithstanding the legal change of name, she was known
through life as Mrs. Crmamer by her old acquaintances. In 1876
she moved to Kansas and in 1878 returned to Wisconsin. Three
years later she emigrated to Oregon and took a homestead six miles west
of The Dalles, where she passed a settle life for 25 years. Then
selling her land, Mrs. Cramer went to Western Oregon, and in 1911 to
San Diego, Cal., where she died July 3, 1912, in her 83d year.
Of the Cramer children, Willie died in the spring of 1864, aged 3
years. His was the first death in Borst Valley, and his burial in
the plot that afterward became the Cripps Cemetery was the first
interment there. Theodore and Charles in the early '80s went to
oregon, where the first named died in October, 1913. Charles is
near Mosier, Ore., and Elmer near Kellogg, Minn. George was the
last of the family to leave Trempealeau County, going to the West in
1887. He lives near Hillsboro, Ore.
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In the fall of 1863 Hamlet D. Warring, native of New York, and Lowell
Fay, native of Massachusetts, came to view the valley and selected
locations. Both returned the following spring, and with them came
Mrs. Lydia Meigs, Warring's housekeeper; Reuben and Harriet Meigs and
James and Angeline Mosier. Reuben was Mrs. Meigs' son and Harriet
and Angline were Warring's daughters. They came from Oxford,
Marquette County. Mr. Warring located above and adjoining the
Cramer claim and Meigs directly west and adjoining Cramer's.
Mosier squatted on seciton 3, but in the fall abandoned the claim and
returned to Marquette County. Mr. Warring brought the first
horses and the first reaper to the valley. He lived htere until
his death, Dec. 19, 1888, aged about 75 years. Mrs. Lydia Meigs
moved to Minnesota in the late '70s. Reuben Meigs died in
Montana. His widow lives in North Dakota.
Lowell Fay located at a point where the valley merges into Pleasant
Valley. With him were his wife and son Lea. In 1865 Mr. Fay
was followed by his sons Henry B. and Aaron, both Civil War
soldiers. Henry settle first in Lincoln, but in 1869 he bought
the Cramer relinquishment and built the first brick house in Borst
Valley. Except Aaron, the Fays moved to Minnesota in the early
'80s. Aaron died at the Milwaukee soldiers' home in 1916.
Samuel Beswick bought land at the mouth of the valley from an Eastern
owner in 1864. Mr. Beswick was a bachelor. He died in the
early '90s and his farm passed into possession of Fred Cripps.
In the fall of 1864 came James Kelly and wife, natives of Ireland, with
their sons, James, Jr., and John, and daughters, Laura and
Marcella. They were from Marquette County. Mr. Kelly
located on section 4, Burnside. James Kelly, Jr., married
Cornelia, daughter of Talcott Moore, of Pleasant Valley. This was
the first marriage of a Borst Valley resident. With the exception
of James, Jr., who lives in Northern Wisconsin, the Kellys removed to
Minnesota in 1869.
Daniel and Emily Borst, with four children, arrived in the valley in
1865, coming from Marquette County. Their homestead was in
section 34, Chimney Rock. They went to South Dakota in 1870,
thence to Washington State. Daniel died at Seattle Sept. 12,
1906. Emily died early in 1917.
In the fall of 1865 George and Martha Meigs reached the valley, coming
from Marquette County. George was Reuben Meigs' brother and
Martha was H. D. Warring's daughter. George was a Civil War
soldier, serving in a New York regiment. His homestead was
Mosier's abandoned claim in section 3, Burnside. The first child
born in the valley was his son Decatur, July 22, 1866. Mrs. Meigs
died April 10, 1873. George moved to Minnesota in 1878, and
thence to Montana, where he died early in 1917 in the soldiers' home at
Columbia Falls.
In 1866 William Nicols, a native of Scotland, purchased from a
non-resident owner a quarter section adjoining the Cramer claim on the
east and built a cabin. The next year he broke a few acres.
In 1874 he married Giles Cripps' daughter Emma. Mr. Nicols died
May 17, 1916, aged 80 years. Of the earliest settlers he
continued longest in possession of a single tract of land - 50 years.
The next settlers were Martin W. and Sarah Ann Borst, from Decorah,
Iowa, who reached the valley May 12, 1867. They had six
children: Virgil, Curtis, Henry, Harvey, Mina and Russell.
Mr. Borst visited Trempealeau County in 1866. He first
contemplated erection of a grist mill at the site of the present Elk
Creek Mill in Pleasant Valley, and made homestead entry of the 160
acres near there that afterward became the Christ Gassow farm.
Negotiation for the millsite and flowage rights failing, Mr. Borst
abandoned his homestead entry and bought land in Borst Valley.
These purchases comprised tracts in both Burnside and Chimney
Rock. His house was built on the northwest quarter of the
northeast quarter of section 3, Burnside, and in the vicinity he
operated for several years the largest farm in that region. Mrs.
Borst died Nov. 22, 1873. Mr. Borst left the valley in 1878,
going to South Dakota. He returned to Wisconsin in 1889, and died
at Mondovi, Dec. 21, 1899, in his 87th year. Of the Borst
children, Curtis was killed by road agents Nov. 27, 1877, at Frozen
Man's Creek, 40 miles west of old Fort Pierre, South Dakota; Russell
died at Independence Nov. 11, 1888; Virgil lives in St. Paul, Minn.;
Henry, Harvey and Mina (Mrs. C. J. Ward) are residents of Mondovi.
Peter Peterson Norman made homestead entry in the upper part of the
valley in the fall of 1867 and started erection of a log house.
The following spring he brought his family. With him this time
came his brother Sever. These men were the first Norwegian
settlers in Borst Valley.
+++
Among those who came in the next four years were the following:
1867 - Peter and Emma Decker; Mrs. Decker, a widow, and sons Stephen
and George; Joseph Mericle and wife and George Mericle. All came
from Winneshiek County, Iowa. Peter and Emma were the last of the
party to leave the valley, going to Ellendale, N. D., in 1884.
Silas Parker and family came from Galesville, remained a year and
removed to Hale.
1868 - Lyman Back, native of Connecticut, came from La Crosse and took
a homestead in the Chimney Rock section. In the fall he moved on
his location with his wife, Lucy, and daughter Lydia. Mr. Back
was killed by lightning Sept. 6, 1875, his being the first violent
death in the valley. His wife died exactly seven weeks
later. George L. Back, son, and George Bartlett and Robert
Brookins, sons-in-law of Lyman, made homestead entries, but did not
occupy them until the following March. George L. Back is still a
resident there. The others left many years ago. George L.
Back and family and Augustus Huguenin and wife arrived from Iowa.
The latter soon returned to Iowa. Mr. Fisk in 1872 emitgrated to
California. William Harris and William Barnhart, with their
families, came from Dorchester, Iowa, and settled in the west branch,
the first in the Burnside section, where he established the first
blacksmith shop in the valley. In 1872 he sold to Michael
Lee. Mr. Barnhart's locaiton was at the head of the branch.
He lived in Dover, half his farm lying in that town. He sold to
Charles Short. Chester Beswick bought land in the lower part of
the valley, moving in with his family the following February. He
now lives near Blair. Al Osgood and wife, from Arcadia, and John
Sprinkle and wife, from the head of Wickham valley, were residents in
1868, remaining but a year.
1869 - Palmer Back, another son of Lyman Back, arrived from La Crosse,
bought the Kelly location in section 4, Burnside, and moved
thereon. In 1871 he sold to William Russell and left the
valley. David Barnhart, whose wife was a daughter of William
Harris, came with a large family from Marengo, Ill., and settled in the
west part of Chimney Rock. He moved to Eau Claire County in
1883. Thomas and Elizabeth Burt came from Glencoe, Buffalo
County, and located in the Burnside section.
1870 - In March Mrs. Laura Campbell, widow with a large family, arrived
from Grant County, Wis. Soon afterward she married P. H. Varney,
also from Grant County, and lived at Arcadia, where she died Feb. 18,
1879. None of the Campbell family acquired land in the
valley. In May William Hunter, native of Scotland, his sons,
William, Jr., and James N., and daughter, Janet, reached the valley,
coming from Allegheny County, Pa. They settled in the Burnside
section. Mr. Hunter, Sr., died in June, 1897, aged 74
years. His sons are still living in the valley. With the
Hunter family came Charles and Mary Short, also natives of
Scotland. Mr. Short bought the William Barnhart place and lived
in Dover. There were eight children in the Short family, two of
whom are David and Charles Short, of Independence. The elder
Short died in May, 1907, and his wife in December, 1914.
1871 - In the spring of this year William and Christina Russell,
natives of Scotland, came from Allegheny County, Pa. Mr. Russell
bought the Kelly Homestead from Palmer Back. The Russells at that
time had four children: Alexander, Mary, Isabella and
Christina. Mary is the wife of Anton Liver, living at
Independence. The three others are dead. William Russell
died April 26, 1887, aged 55 years. Mrs. Russell resides on the
old homestead.
- by Virgil Borst.